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World Vets, Innovacyn team up to help donkeys in Tanzania

World Vets, a nongovernment organization that provides veterinary aid around the world, and Innovacyn, makers of Vetericyn animal healthcare products, have announced that they will collaborate on a mission to help donkeys in Arusha, Tanzania, June 21-29.

Eight World Vet volunteer veterinarians and technicians, along with local partners in Tanzania, will deliver assistance to donkeys owned by the Maasai, Meru and Arusha people. The team's rural mobile donkey clinics will provide veterinary care, hoof trimming, wound treatment and deworming, as well as instruction on proper handling techniques and ongoing care.

There are estimated to be 600,000 donkeys in the area that are vital to the livelihood of their owners, carrying supplies and providing transportation and farming support.

"Our initial assessment of the donkey population revealed a complete lack of preventive healthcare such as vaccinations and deworming," says Dr. Cathy King, founder and CEO of World Vets. "The most common health problems were infected wounds from carrying heavy loads on their backs. An estimated 50 percent of the donkeys suffered from painful lesions that require treatment. ... In addition to treating individual animals, education on prevention will be a critically important part of the project."

World Vets' goal for the mission is to treat more than 1,000 donkeys and to give owners and local veterinarians the tools needed for ongoing support.

"World Vets provides essential care to treat and improve the lives of both animals and people around the world," says Dave Mills, general manager of Innovacyn. "When we heard about the high numbers of donkeys with infections and wounds in Arusha, we knew Vetericyn could help and wanted to do everything we could to move the mission forward."